Assessing Virtual Reality in Oil Painting Education: A Perspective from the Technology Acceptance Model

Abstract

This research assessed the integration of virtual reality (VR) into oil painting education through the lens of the technology acceptance model (TAM). The study, limited to Guangdong Province, China, drew responses largely from educators and learners and modularly evaluated perceived educational value (PEV), perceived technological accessibility (PTA), intention to adopt VR (IAVR), and VR utilisation in education (VRUE). Based on a cross-sectional survey of 373 respondents, this study deployed structural equation modelling (SEM) to test five hypotheses. Both PEV and PTA significantly influence IAVR, which subsequently affects VRUE. PTA had a direct interface with VRUE, whereas PEV did not. This suggests that while the educational merits accrued through VR have decreased, user-friendly VR solutions is the more immediate determinant of the actualisation of VR in education. This research enriches the extant literature by extending the TAM to an arts educational environment and underscores the implications for the adoption of emergent technologies for the augmentation of pedagogical practises. This study also provides practical implications for stakeholders in educational technology, as it argues that the key to widespread acceptance of VR in educational settings lies in the availability of user-friendly, comprehensive, and accessible VR solutions.